St. Louis, MO – A federal grand jury has indicted ten individuals, all linked to a violent car-theft ring operating across Missouri and Illinois, charging them with a range of crimes including racketeering conspiracy, carjacking, robbery, and firearms violations. The group, known as “the Strikers,” is accused of stealing dozens of vehicles, committing violent crimes, and trafficking stolen cars across state lines.
The indictment, unsealed today, charges Montez Moore, Duane Benson, Aniya Sheperd, Brandon Irons, Allen Brown, Markaveon Jackson, Raynell Moore, Lavatrice McCully-Collins, Peontay Roddy, and Noah Hornburg, all of St. Louis, Missouri. They are accused of running a violent criminal enterprise from September 2023 to March 2024, resulting in the theft of nearly 50 vehicles worth nearly $3 million.
A Brazen Crime Spree
According to federal authorities, the Strikers engaged in a series of high-profile crimes that spanned multiple jurisdictions. These included car dealership burglaries, armed carjackings, shootings, and illegal interstate vehicle sales. In one instance, the group allegedly stole seven high-end vehicles from a dealership in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, worth over $850,000.
To evade capture, the group took extreme measures to hide their identities, wearing masks, gloves, and dark clothing during the burglaries. In a particularly audacious move, after one of their stolen vehicles was seized by police, the Strikers allegedly broke into a police force impound lot and stole it back.
The group is also accused of posting stolen vehicles for sale online at remarkably low prices, suggesting to potential buyers that the vehicles were stolen. For example, a 2019 Infiniti Q70 was listed for $3,000, a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE 400 for $1,500, and a 2014 BMW 528i for just $2,500 on Instagram.
Carjacking and Armed Robbery
The indictment also highlights the group’s involvement in a violent carjacking and robbery. In one instance, defendants Duane Benson and Montez Moore, driving a stolen 2017 BMW, ambushed a lottery machine technician at a BP gas station in Springfield, Illinois. The two men, armed with a firearm, robbed the technician at gunpoint and hijacked his white Chevrolet Silverado pickup.
Coordinated Law Enforcement Effort
This case is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Violent Crime Initiative, targeting organized crime rings contributing to the surge in violence in cities like St. Louis. “This violent, interstate operation left a trail of stolen vehicles and cost millions in losses. Thanks to our federal, state, and local partners, we are dismantling this criminal enterprise,” said Matthew T. Drake, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division stressed that this case underscores the power of federal racketeering laws to bring down interstate criminal networks. “This case is a testament to the FBI’s commitment to ending the cycle of violence and theft that these criminal organizations propagate,” he said.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison for participating in the racketeering conspiracy. Defendants Moore and Benson also face up to an additional 30 years if convicted of carjacking, robbery, and using firearms in connection with those crimes. Aniya Sheperd faces an additional 10 years for allegedly possessing a machinegun.
The investigation is ongoing, and the FBI, in collaboration with the St. Louis County Police Department, continues to track the stolen vehicles and other criminal activity tied to the Strikers.
The indictment is part of a broader strategy by the Department of Justice to target violent crime in St. Louis through coordinated federal prosecutions. “We are committed to targeting and dismantling the criminal organizations that disproportionately fuel violence in our communities,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
